


What is a Third?

by ReleasingmyInsanity



Series: What A Third Is [1]
Category: I Dream of Jeannie
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, Multi, Polyamory, Triad Verse Related
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:33:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23680114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReleasingmyInsanity/pseuds/ReleasingmyInsanity
Summary: Jeannie is from a time and place where the normal relationship consists of three people instead of two. Being Jeannie, she assumes that things work the same way in Cocoa Beach and that she, Tony, and Roger are a triad.
Relationships: Roger Healey/Jeannie/Anthony "Tony" Nelson
Series: What A Third Is [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1746949
Kudos: 7
Collections: Triad Verse





	What is a Third?

It was date night in the home of Major Tony Nelson and his genie, Jeannie. And Tony was hoping for a nice evening with just the two of them. His last several attempts to take Jeannie on a nice date had ended up with Jeannie bringing Roger along.

It wasn’t as though Tony disliked having Roger around, on the contrary. Roger was his best friend, his favorite person in the world. But some nights, Tony just felt romantic and wanted a proper date.

“All right, you ready to go, Jeannie?” Tony asked, as he began to pick up his coat.

Jeannie laughed, “Oh, we cannot go now, Master. Major Healey is not here yet.”

Tony put his coat back down with a sigh and turned to look at Jeannie. “Jeannie, I love you, and I love spending time with you. But don’t you ever just want to go out together? Alone? Without Roger?”

Jeannie shook her head. “Don’t be silly, Master. I could never want to leave Major Healey out. After all, he is our third.”

Tony blinked, “Our what?”

“Our third,” Jeannie repeated.

“What does…?” Tony was interrupted as Roger opened the door, walking straight in the way he always did.

“Hi! You two ready to go?”

“Oh, Major Healey, you are just in time,” Jeannie said. “I was just explaining to Major Nelson that you are our third. Tell him.”

“I’m your third,” Roger told Tony, always happy to go along with anything Jeannie wanted him to say.

Tony put his hands on his hips. “And just what is a ‘third?”

Roger shrugged. “I dunno. Hey Jeannie, what’s that mean?”

“You mean you do not know?”

“No,” Tony said, beginning to feel rather annoyed. “So, why don’t you explain it to us?”

Jeannie explained, “Where I come from, a relationship is not finished if there are only two people. For a completed relationship, you must have a third.”

“A third what?” Tony asked.

“Partner of course. And Major Healey is such a wonderful third partner. You have chosen very well, Master.” Jeannie punctuated her sentence by giving Tony a quick kiss, then turning to Roger and doing the same.

Roger blushed, “I, well, thank you, Jeannie.”

Tony stared at the sight of his girlfriend kissing his best friend. In the back of his mind he wondered why that seemed so right. He cleared his throat in an attempt to remain calm. “Well, Jeannie, just because things worked like that where you come from doesn’t mean that they work like that here.”

“But why not?” Jeannie asked. “Why can it not work like that here? After all, I love you both so very much.”

“Yeah,” Roger agreed, looking quite excited by the prospect. “Why can’t it work like that here?”

Tony raised his eyebrows. “You mean you want…Roger, that’s ridiculous.”

“What’s so ridiculous about it?” Roger asked. “I love Jeannie, you love Jeannie, Jeannie loves us, I love you…”

Tony startled. “Run that by me again.”

Roger looked at Tony, expression open and honest. “We love Jeannie, Jeannie loves us, I love you…”

“That bit, right there. Say that last bit one more time.” Tony requested.

“I love you,” Roger said for the third time, exchanging confused glances with Jeannie.

Tony seemed to be having trouble with his speech, “R…Roge, why didn’t you ever say something before?”

“You never asked.”

Tony didn’t know what to say. He knew Jeannie loved him, she had always been very clear about that fact. And it wasn’t terribly surprising that she and Roger loved each other. But Roger loving him was completely unexpected. And he wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it.

He had never thought about it before, but now that it had been suggested, now that he was thinking about it… Roger was his best friend and his favorite person. Roger knew him better than anyone and had always been there for him. The more Tony considered it, the more sense it made. But could it work?

“Do you not see, Master?” Jeannie asked. “The three of us are right to be together.”

Tony grinned. “You know Jeannie? I think you’re right.”

He turned back to Roger, putting his hands on the other man’s shoulders. “I love you too, Roge.”

And with that, he leaned in close to give his best friend a tender kiss.

Jeannie clapped excitedly. “Ooh, this calls for something special!” She announced as the two men pulled away, smiling a little shyly at each other.

In a blink, Jeannie had changed into one of her favorite evening gowns. The two astronauts wore their finest dress uniforms, medals and all. “Tonight, you two are taking me dancing, and I know the perfect little place.”

“All right!” Roger said, taking Jeannie’s arm.

“Ready when you are,” added Tony, taking Jeannie’s other arm and smiling at Roger.

And with another blink, they were off.

**Author's Note:**

> In which I ignore historical context, Jeannie’s (and Roger’s) occasional bouts of problematic behavior, and the canon timeline in favor of fluffy polyamory.
> 
> My headcanon is that Roger has been in love with Tony for years. He hasn’t said anything, but he hasn’t exactly kept it a secret either. Tony has just been oblivious the whole time. And Jeannie is the only one who has noticed that all feelings are mutual.
> 
> I got all the way to the end of the story, fixed the trouble spots, and was so proud of myself for finally finishing the fic, when I realized I’d made a big mistake. Tony never said, or even thought, that he loved Jeannie. He'd said that he loved Roger but not Jeannie. So I added that bit near the beginning where he does say it.


End file.
